Teachers Communities of Learning (TCOL)

The TCOL program attempts to demonstrate how technology can support the improvement of educational outcomes at a school level through a community of learning approach. The program attempts to build communities at multiple levels - within the school, across different subject teachers, and across the schools in the Bengaluru South 3 block.

This is the third phase of the program, working with government aided schools in Bengaluru South 3 block from 2018 to 2021 (three academic years). The program attempts to expand and deepen the work done in the second phase TCOL from 2014-17 which had focused on only government high schools.

TCOL Phase 3 program with Government Aided Schools in Bengaluru South 3

Objectives of the program in Phase 3 (2018-21)

Support teachers to interact with one another, for peer learning and mentoring, within a 'community of learning '

Support schools and teachers to learn and adopt ICTs in a variety of ways, for both their own development as well as for use in their teaching-learning processes

Demonstrate a model of ICT integration in teaching-learning

Identify possibilities for systemic reforms and policy

Integrate the above into the curricular and pedagogical processes of the education system.

The project will have two strands of work:

Teacher training workshops for a structured course around ICT integration for Mathematics and Kannada / English

School-based intensive work to demonstrate and train in ICT integration in teaching-learning and administrative processes

Program strategies

Working with identified, interested schools for demonstrating school level technology integration. This will include the following:

Working with identified subjects to demonstrate techno-pedagogies

Supporting technology integration for school management and administration

Digital literacy classes for the students in line with NCERT National ICT Curriculum, 2013

Support the development and maintenance of ICT labs

Communicate with parents using IVRS system

Helping interested schools develop a web page for their communication

Block level workshops for head masters, subject teachers. These workshops will be subject wise only, and will be conducted on an identified day each month. Teachers from the schools where ICT is being integrated for subject teaching will also present their work to support peer learning in these workshops

Creating and uploading digital resources in Kannada and in English; resources will be uploaded on the Karnataka Open Educational Resources portal, for use by all teachers.

School level work

Few schools will be identified for supporting class level and school level integration of ICT for teaching-learning and for school development. Work in Mathematics and English has begun in BHS school. A few more schools will be identified for working in the areas of Mathematics, Kannada, English during 2018-19, and in other subjects in subsequent years.

Program with Government High Schools in Phase 2 (2014-17 Completed)

During the three academic years 2014-17, the program worked with the 16 Government High Schools of Bengaluru South 3 Block. The two components of the program were the block level community building workshops and the school level support for academic improvement.

Program focus areas

During the second phase of the TCOL program the program focused on the following :

Introducing teachers to new pedagogies

Introducing digital literacy for students

Demonstrating new classroom processes

Building a community of subject teachers and head masters

Strengthening the institutional identity of government schools

Block level workshops

The block level work attempted to bring together the teachers and head teachers across all the South 3 schools through workshops and digitally enabled methods focusing on the following:

Better teaching-learning practices

Creating a relevant, safe learning space in the school for students

Connecting with the community and focusing on better learning outcomes, adolescent issues and making the school a safe space for the children

Creation of a model block, enabled by ICT integration in classroom and school processes

Bringing together the block as a collective on issues of school development, curricular changes and sharing best practices

Details of block level work in Phase 2

Block-level work in 2014-15

Workshops were conducted in Mathematics, Science, Social Science and Kannada. Teachers from the schools were also connected to the state/ district groups for sharing resources and ideas.

May 28, 2014

Head Masters Orientation

June 19, 2014

Mathematics workshop - I

June 23, 2014

Social Science workshop - I

June 26, 2014

Science workshop - I

August 1, 2014

Mathematics workshop - II

August 4-5, 2014

Kannada workshop - I

September 22, 2014

Mathematics workshop - III

December 22,29, 2014

Head Teachers workshop - II

Block-level work in 2015-16

The year started with a head masters' workshop on May 18, 2015. During this workshop, the details of the programme last year were discussed and head masters also shared their ideas for work this year.

For this year, from July - November, the following workshops are planned and the details are below.

Workshops were planned and conducted for Kannada, Science and Mathematics. Head Masters also met periodically.

In addition the block-level Science events for students and teachers was held at GHS Jayanagara 9th Block.

Block-level work in 2016-17

The year started with a head masters' workshop in June 2016. During this workshop, the details of the programme last year were discussed and head masters also shared their ideas for work this year.

For this year, from July - November, the following workshops are planned and the details are below.

Workshops have been planned for Kannada, Science and Mathematics. Head Masters will also meet periodically.

In addition the following block level workshops/ events will also be planned.

Workshop/orientation on adolescent issues

Block-level events for students and teachers

School level work

School based work in conducted in GHS Agara, GHS Beguru, GHS Dommaluru, GHS Ejipura, GHS Jayanagara 9th Block, GHS Konappana Agrahara, GHS Tank Garden and GHS Yediyur. The focus of these school based activities included:

Mathematics demonstration classes

Kannada demonstration classes

Digital literacy for students and teachers

Community documentation through digital stories and local mapping

Implementing IVRS system for communicating with parents

Science fairs and exhibitions

Language festivals

Helping the schools make audio visual resources for reaching out to parents